Endocrinology, Vol 113, 663-671, Copyright © 1983 by Endocrine Society

ARTICLES

Characterization of immunoreactive proopiomelanocortin-related peptides in rat testes

AN Margioris, AS Liotta, H Vaudry, CW Bardin and DT Krieger

alpha-Endorphin, beta-endorphin, gamma-endorphin, and N-terminal ACTH immunoreactivity were detectable in acid extracts of rat testes with concentrations of 0.07 +/- 0.01, 0.18 +/- 0.03, 0.06 +/- 0.01, and 0.33 +/- 0.08 (+/- SD) pmol/g wet wt, respectively. The forms of these immunoreactive peptides were characterized by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography. Immunoreactive beta-endorphin was also analyzed by gel filtration and sodium dodecyl sulfate- polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The results indicated that the major form of immunoreactive beta-endorphin present appears to be beta- endorphin-(1-31). No alpha-N-acetylated forms of beta-endorphin or beta- lipotropin-sized material were detected. Immunoreactive alpha- and gamma-endorphin appear to be present as alpha-endorphin and des-Tyr1- gamma-endorphin, respectively. Immunoreactive alpha MSH was present as its desacetylated form. No immunoreactive ACTH fractionating with ACTH- (1-39) or its glycosylated forms was detected. This peptide profile is most similar to that seen for proopiomelanocortin-derived peptides in the brain. The low concentrations of these peptides in rat testes suggest a paracrine function.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. Pintar, B. Schachter, A. Herman, S Durgerian, and D. Krieger Characterization and localization of proopiomelanocortin messenger RNA in the adult rat testis Science, August 10, 1984; 225(4662): 632 - 634. [Abstract] [PDF]

				D. Krieger Brain peptides: what, where, and why? Science, December 2, 1983; 222(4627): 975 - 985. [Abstract] [PDF]